Top Round Steak
Flavor: 3 Out Of 5
Tenderness: 2 Out Of 5
Alternative Names: London Broil, Breakfast Steak, Sandwich Steak, Butterball Steak
The top round or inside round steak, what it is called in Canada, is the most tender of the round steaks. Thick steaks are called top round and thinner steaks are called round or inside round cutlets.
Very lean, top round steak recipes are endless. Well suited for stews, cube steak, stir-fry's, kabobs, rouladen and makes a great steak sandwich recipe when sliced thin.
Although it is flavorful and a bit more tender than other round cuts from the hip, it is a cut that should be marinated with a tenderizing marinade unless it is thinly sliced. A marinated top round is an excellent steak for grilling, broiling and pan-searing.
Click Here To Cook A Top Round Indoors.
1. Trim off any excess fat, mix together the marinade according to its recipe. For best results place the inside round steak in a resealable plastic food bag with 1/2 to 1 cup(250ml) of marinade, squeeze any air from bag, refrigerate 6-24 hours.
A resealable bag will cut down on clean up, and allow you occasionally to turn the bag to evenly distribute the marinade. You can also marinade in plastic, stainless steel, or glass containers, covered with a lid, but do not use aluminum or tinfoil.
2. Remove top round steaks from refrigerator 1 hour before grilling to bring to room temperature. Remove the meat from the marinade and blot it dry using a paper towel, season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. If using a gas grill, preheat on high for 10-15 minutes with lid down.
4. Scrape grill clean with grill brush, and adjust heat to medium high.
5. Cook the steaks turning once, for best results cook to medium-rare 135 degrees or medium 145 degrees, but no more, anything more will begin to dry out the steaks.
6. Remove steaks, tent with foil 5-10 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute themselves evenly throughout the steak, before slicing steak thinly across the grain. The steaks will rise another 5 degrees well resting.
MINUTES | PER | SIDE | |||
Top Round Steak | Rare | Medium-Rare | Medium | Medium-Well | Well Done |
1/2 Inch Steak | 2 minutes | 2-3 minutes | 3-4 minutes | 4-5 minutes | 5-6 minutes |
3/4 Inch Steak | 2-3 minutes | 3-4 minutes | 4-5 minutes | 5-6 minutes | 6-7 minutes |
1 Inch Steak | 3-4 minutes | 4-5 minutes | 5-6 minutes | 6-7 minutes | 8-9 minutes |
1 1/2 Inch Steak | 5-6 minutes | 7-8 minutes | 8-10 minutes | 10-12 minutes | 13-15 minutes |
Temperature | 125-130 degrees | 130-140 degrees | 140-150 degrees | 150-160 degrees | 160-170 degrees |
The above times are guide-lines, temperatures differ from grill to grill, do not judge a steaks doneness by minutes per side. You should always use an instant-read thermometer to check the doneness.
Grilling Tips
Go To Home Page
US To Metric System Chart
Oven Temperatures
Fahrenheit (°F) Celsius (°C)
125° 52°
150° 66°
175° 80°
200° 93°
225° 107°
250° 121°
275° 135°
300° 149°
325° 163°
350° 177°
375° 190°
400° 205°
425° 218°
450° 232°
475° 246°
500° 260°